The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-05-21

the Fedcrals IN force on high ground. DO
much for what Immediately proceeded the
battle Of Port Gibson As narrated In the
previous number, the night Of April 80 the
writer had slept beside a companion aboard
river boat upon two bales Of cotton, and
ut early dawn next morning went ashore
with his companion and joined the rcgi'
ment then falling In line two or three
hundred yards distant Tho writer ha l
just reached the regiment when, putting
his hand in his pocket, he found that three
or four dollars In money, all no had, was
gone. He spoke OF his misfortune, and re-
ccivcd a lecture from Wigton, his compan-
lon of the night previous, and some twenty
or thirty years his senior.
| Just like YOU" he began; "always los
Ing something Your carocssncss Will be-
the ruin Of you yet. I'm 'hinkin' you'll
lose your hca one Of these days"
As the firing from the battle then In
progress q few miles away could already
be heard, the last and greatest accident
was not at all an impossibility.
However,, as the command was in the
heart OF tho enemy's country and was Just
on the point OF cutting ioos" from its base
OF supplies, the writer felt as though no
could not give up his lost money without
making an effort to find H. Learning that
few moments would elapsc before the
command would start, he ran back to the
boat, made his way to the bales Of cotton,
and turning them about, had stopped over
aud was looking around carefully, thinking
may be the pocket book had slipped from
his pocket when voice just behind was
heard calling him by name and asking;
Have you found your pOckctboOAi dc
clare mines gone, too" Looking up, who
did the writer see but Wigton, his comrade
Of the night previous, who only moment
before was Gliding him for his ill-iortunc
and negligence. II was clear now that
some one had stolen both pOCkctbOoks
while their owners slept
The Joke on Wigton, however, was too
good too keep, and 1t was many "A day before
his com paniOns let him hear the last OF H.
Poor Wigton. his beard was quite gray
and for one in active service was quite OLD,
but n was u brave, true solder, and when
last seen was very lame and hobbllng about
on crutches with II prospect OF remaining
so from wound received in the Red river
cypc ltiOn in the spring OF 1864. just before
starting on the march, each ran received Ia
his cantecn little whisky. The regiment
had never been in battle, and whether III
was given to supply them with extra cour-
age or whether II was thought the en-
forced march about to be entered upon
required the use Of stimulants, IS not
known. But whatever the intention may
have been, no good came from the whisky,
and before night several in the regiment
were foolishly drunk.
When all was ready the regiment started
of at brisk space towards the rising sun,
Just visible through the trec-tops.
For two miles the road ran through the
river bottom, then up long hill of red
clay, next bv quiet farm houses and cult.
waited fields, through pretty wooded groves
and up quiet lanes, all bearing the marks
Of pcGc :, and resting in supposed security
from the inroads OF invading armies.
The boom Of cannon could be heard,
and after awhile the rattle OF musketry;
this excited the men, and they marched
tn, faster. As the morning advanced 1t
became very warm and many threw away
knapsacks, overcoats and any thing and
every thing that impeded progress towards
the sounds Of battle in front
BY and by towards noon field hospital
at the road side was reached, aud here
stalwart soldier with his arm IN sling,
an 4 the bright blood oozing through the
bandages over wound on his breast 9th
erwise bare, came and stood by the roa /
side and watched the reinforccments go
forward.
His was the first blood the writer saw
flow from o Confederate bullet.
Other field hospitals were Don passed,
and after little fences thrown down,
corn fields tracked over, and every thing
disarranged and trampod upon, told that
large bodies Of men had been deployed and
a bat md Itar
day. A little ahead broken wheels and
dismounted cannon, and now and then
dead soldier, with here and there disem-
boweled horse, showed the advance Of the
Federals had met with resistance. Next
the road ran down hill and into the tim.
ber: here the command halted for q few